Audi’s famously manufactured strapline is 50 years old
“Vorsprung durch Technik” was also used in Audi NSU brochures soon after.
It is hard to believe that an advertising agency tagline could possess modern day classic status, highlights Iain Robertson, but ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ is not merely synonymous with the Audi brand but even designates its future sense of direction.
While a great many advertising straplines have been formulated over the years, few seem to possess the durability of Audi’s made-up message. The sometime Formula One commentator, Murray Walker, from his days as a London-based advertising agency boss, created a tagline for Trill, a birdseed manufacturer: ‘Trill makes budgies bounce with health!’. Another, in which he is said to have had a hand, was for the ubiquitous Mars Bar chocolate countline: ‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play!’.
As important in branding terms, as an editorial summary standfirst, the strapline became a promotional work of art. It imparted an image by way of clever wordplay, and the Mars confectionery company gave each of its brands an unique, vital and relatable message, among them, Opal Fruits: ‘Made to make your mouth water’; Topic: ‘A hazelnut in every bite’; and Maltesers: ‘The lighter way to eat chocolate’.
Car companies are seldom shy about promoting their wares and some of the most renowned examples are ‘The ultimate driving machine’ for BMW; ‘Everything we do is driven by you’ for Ford was even epitomised in a song written by Brian May of Queen; ‘The power to surprise’ for Hyundai; and ‘The best four by four by far’ for Land Rover. However, none of them can boast the integrity of a completely manufactured ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ used by Audi for the past fifty years. It was originally spotted by a leading British advertising company boss and regurgitated to represent the Audi brand, albeit not without a seven year long, bitter court battle to ascertain which company held the rights to the slogan’s ownership.
It is said to mean: ‘Advancement through technical achievement’, although it is actually corrupted German and means very little in reality. However, separating it from Audi is now an impossibility. As time passes, the slogan gathers momentum and is no longer just a statement of questionable Teutonic fact but one that formulates an expression of the German carmaker’s approach to future challenges.
In 1969, a merger drew together Auto Union GmbH, headquartered in Ingolstadt, and Neckarsulmer NSU Motorenwerke to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG at the Neckarsulm location. The new company’s range of models spanned from the air-cooled engines of the rear-wheel drive NSU Prinz series and the water-cooled four-cylinder engines of the front-wheel drive Audi 60 and Audi 100, to the Felix Wankel rotary engine of the futuristic-looking NSU Ro80. The concept of communicating this technological diversity as a competitive advantage came in 1970 from Hans Bauer, who was an employee in the Audi-NSU advertising department and was credited with devising the slogan that people around the world would come to recognise.
It debuted in a large-sized advertisement in January 1971. Customers would also spot it in Audi-NSU brochures. The Audi 100, 100 Coupé S, Audi 80, or Audi 50 were all represented by the tagline. In fact, it was adapted over the years in many ways, including ‘Audi. A nice bit of technology’ or ‘Audi. Relaxed driving with perfect technology’ but the company soon returned to the snappier original. When the Audi quattro first appeared in 1980, the original slogan was used more frequently and the rest, as they say, is history.
Apart from pioneering on-road, stability enhancing all-wheel drive for regular motorcars, as opposed to the more agricultural 4×4 systems used by off-roaders, Audi has innovated consistently throughout its history. Its ASF (Aluminium SpaceFrame) underbody construction technique (1994) has led to the significant applications of light metal alloys around the entire motor industry. When the company launched the original A2 model, it featured a bonnet that was never designed to be opened, or removed (although it could be).
Even though ‘Future is an attitude’ is a secondary strapline that Audi has been using as it electrifies its model range, the original slogan retains its overriding strength. In fact, Audi has set itself a goal, to be carbon-neutral by 2050. It is developing into a provider of sustainable upmarket mobility and intends to be a leader in the field. As a result, Audi has been focusing its efforts on being a technological leader in environmentally friendly motoring. While the push for electrification continues, the company is redefining advancement and focusing on sustainability, digitalisation and electrification. Its intention is to make a key contribution to a liveable future, utilising meaningful technology.
Whether or not the societal push for new technologies makes it easier for Audi to continue to promote its proposition with vigour is not even in question. Audi is not driven by change but prefers to be perceived as a driver of change. In the age of new mobility, it does not recognise advancement as just the highest levels of engineering, state-of-the-art styling, or even creating a memorable digital experience because Audi does its level best to also think outside the car.
In the future, it will be more about comprehensive mobility solutions, which includes the matter of infrastructure. With the pilot of the Audi charging hub having been launched recently, it has developed a flexible quick-charging concept for future peak demands that can be used at various locations. Measuring up to its infamous tagline, Audi does not intend to rest on the technological advancements of the past few years, preferring instead to maintain a stance as one of the most progressive premium brands because it views the future invariably as an opportunity and bends it into shape as it feels appropriate. ‘Vorsprung’ is very much a state of mind for the German carmaker. Fifty years is a tremendous achievement for an advertising slogan but, as you may be able to see, it is a guiding light for one brand that is now so important that its existence is perpetual.
